Albert Pujols’ single in Thursday’s the ninth inning that gave the Angels their first victory of the season tied him with David Ortiz of the Red Sox with 19 walk-off hits since 2000, the most among active players. Pujols said he knows what to look for in such situations having experienced the scenario so many times in his 15-year career.
Thursday marked Pujols’ fifth walk-off hit in five seasons with the Angels and the second time he has produced a game-winning hit after Mike Trout was intentionally walked in front of him. He would have been credited with a double for the ball he hit in the left-center field gap had he not needed just a single to win the game.
Last season the Angels won 23 games on the last at-bat, tying the Cubs for the most such victories in baseball in 2015.